I’ve had these salted chocolate tahini balls from Bon Appétit on my mind for two weeks and they live. up. to. the. hype.
Holy sweet fancy, they’re everything you want in a dessert – sweet, salty, (mostly) healthy, bite-sized. They’re incredibly rich-tasting, and I was surprised that one of these bad boys was more than enough for me. (Hi, hello, major sweet and salty tooth over here.) Major bonus: they're 6 WW points, which in the grand scheme of desserts is not that bad.
These salted tahini balls are easy to make, but it takes a few ingredients you might not normally have on-hand – tahini, dates and pistachios, in particular. They tend to come in larger quantities, though, so once you’re stocked up, you’re set for future batches. And you will want future batches…
This recipe is a no-bake, just blend, roll around, throw in the fridge recipe. I made them casually one night while my bff came over to hang out, grade papers and, most importantly, be my guinea pig.
Here’s the recipe from BA. Bring them to a party and impress your friends – or just eat them at home and impress yourself. Go live your best tahini life.
Salted Chocolate Tahini Balls | Makes 10-12
Ingredients
⅔ cup plus 1 Tbsp. unsalted, shelled raw pistachios, divided
4 Medjool dates
⅓ cup tahini
3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
¾ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Pulse ⅔ cup pistachios in a food processor until chopped. Add dates, tahini, maple syrup, salt, and ¼ cup cocoa powder. Process until mixture balls up and forms a mass around the blade.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll batter into balls, about the size of a ping pong ball, and arrange on sheet. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, grind sesame seeds and remaining 1 Tbsp. pistachios with a mortar and pestle or chop with a sharp knife until finely ground and no large pieces remain. Transfer to a small bowl.
Place remaining 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder in another small bowl.
Once chilled, re-roll balls between your palms until smooth and round. Dip one half of each ball into pistachio-sesame mixture, then the other half into cocoa powder.
Return balls to baking sheet and keep chilled.
Notes
I didn't love the way one half of the balls were dipped in cocoa powder. It just didn't do much for me, aesthetically or taste-wise. These are just as good if you only dip half - or all of it - in the pistachios.
Similar to the cashew dips I made, I bought the pistachios – and even the dates (!) – from Aldi. This ended up saving me a few bucks, because pistachios are notoriously expensive. (Who do they think they are, anyway?)
The tahini was harder to find. Aldi near me doesn’t carry it, so I had to poke around Jewel. After going up and down the aisles, I finally found it…near the olives? Grocery stores are weird. But tahini is wonderful. What else can I make with it, besides EVERYTHING? I can’t wait to find out.
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